Improvement in the manufacture of illuminating-gas



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EDVIN D. MCGRACKIIN, Olil NEW YORK, I. Y., GSIGOR lO I'IIMSELF, HENRY NEWTON, I-IllrltY l. KIRKLNI), ANl) .IOSlllll 'li'. HUSSON, (MSME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 105,351, [lated .Inh/ l2, i870.

MOP-

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURB OF ILLUMINATING-GAS.

'The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same To all whom fit may concern lle it known that I, ltowIX l). McCnacnnN, of thc city, county, and State of `New ',\.'ork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for the Manutacture ol" Illuminating-Gas; and I do hereby declare that the following is a l'ull, clear, and exact description ot'- the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

The objectot' this invention is to provide for the conversion into incomlcnsable illuminating or conduistible gases, of the whole or greater portion ot the tar and condensed products ordinarily resulting t'rom the mauuiitcture of illnmilmting-gas from coal and other substances, thereby not only eieeting'great economy ot' material, and a consequent reduction of the cost of gas, but preventing the clicking of the passages and pipes leading iioin the retorts.

In carrying out my invention, I use supcrhcatcd steam to effect or aid in the decomposition ot' the tar and condensablc matters, but insteadof introducing it into the retort, as has heretofore been done, lV provide., between the hydraulic main and a pipe through which thc tar or larry vapors enter-'or're-cnter the retort7 at the rear end, or at a point distant from where the gas leaves it, a vessel or chamber in which the tar and condensed products are collected from the. hydraulic main, but through which the gas is prevented, by a liquid sea'. formed by the tar itself', from escaping from the retort, and from which the tar and condensed products are allowed to overflow to the pipe above mentioned; and I introduce the superhcated steam into this vessel or chamber, so that it passes along with the tar into the retort, vaporizing it as it does so, and preventing' the carbonization of thc tar in the said pipe, and the consequentaccumulation of graphite or solid matter therein.

Figure l, in the drawing, is a longitudinal vertical section cfa bench ot'th'rec retorts, with my invention applied to the upper retort.

liigure 2 is aplan of the same.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

'Ihc several 4retorts A A A arc` connected in the usual way, at their front ends or heads, by standpipcs I3 I5 l), with the hydraulic inain C.

At the rear end of the upper retort A is a pipe, I), through which the tar from the hydraulic main passes tothe said retort.

:Between this pipc I) and the hydraulic main is the vessel or chamber Il), the lower part ot' which is in constant and free communication with the lower part ofthe hydraulic main, by neans ol'a pipe7 F, and the -upper part of which communicates with the pipe, l

by means ol' a pipe, (i.

The orifices of this pipe (l, at its communication with the vessel or chamber E and pipe l), are so ar ranged as to provide l'or thc overfiow ol' the tar from the. said vessel or chamber to the pipe I), and thence to the retort, but to maintain a proper level of the tar in the hydraulic main and in the said vessel or chamber7 such level being always sulliciently above the pipe l? to torinaliqnid seal to the said pipe and the chamber If), and thereby prevent the gas from escaping from the retort, by the pipes l) and (i and chamber E, to the hydraulic main.

Il is the pipe through which super-heated steam, passing` from a suitable generatorthrough a proper heater, enters the vessel or chamber l() above the tur therein.

The operation is as follows:

.lhc tar from the hydraulic nia-in C flows freely into the lower part ot' thc chamber or vessel Ill, whence ity overflows, in a thin stream or ii'lm, over the lower part of'the pipe and down the inner surface of the pipe I) toward the retort, and the supcrhcated steam, entering the said chamber or vessel E, passes therel'rom with the tar along the pipes G and II, to the retort, vaporizing the tar bcl'ore its introduction into the retort.

The supcrheated steam and vaporizcd tar, entering the retort together, are easily decomposed in the rc tort,in which their elements recombinc to produce iuvcondcnsable gases, which pass from the retort, by the pipe Il, to the hydraulic main, whence they pass oli' in the usual way to the gasometer, leaving no or very little solid deposit adheringto the pipes.

lipes I) and (i, and a vessel or chamber, E, comnumicating with the. hydraulic n iain, may be applied in connection with a single retortin which gas is made li'om coal or other substance, or to every such retort in a bench; or, when a bench of` several rctorts is used, one or more retorts may be i'urnished with such pipes and chamber, and be used only f'or usingup and making gas from the tar passing over from the other retorts, the latter being worked in the usual way,

Itetorts littcd up in this way may also bc used l'or the manulitcture ot gas from tar obtained from other sources.

It is obvious that the pipes I) and G are virtually portions ol' the same pipe, and there may be subst-ituted for them one continuons pipe connnlmicating between the vessel or chamber E and the retort.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Iretltcrs Patent, is-

l. The introduction or reintroduction ot' tar and condensed products into the retort, along and through the same pipe or channel with singrerheated steam employed to aid in its decomposition, substantially as herein described.

2. A chamber or vessel, E, arranged between and in communication with the hydraulic mitin and the rear part of the retort, substantiallyl as herein described, whereby provision is made for the return or flow of the tar and condensed products from the hydraulic main to the retort.

3; The combination, with ldie chamber or vessel E above mentioned, of the snperhczrted-stemn pipe conneet-ing with such vessel, substantially as herein described.

Witnesses FRED. HAYNES, R. E. RABEAU.

I). D. MCGRAGKEN. 

